Venezuela Earthquake Destruction Revealed in New Satellite Images

委内瑞拉地震灾情：最新卫星图像揭示破坏程度

Satellite technology is being used to streamline rescue efforts in Venezuela following the two earthquakes that struck on June 24. Space agencies have shared images with emergency authorities and the Venezuelan government that not only reveal the magnitude of the disaster but also allow response teams to identify where to focus their efforts—and the challenges on the ground.

在6月24日委内瑞拉发生两次地震后，卫星技术正被用于简化救援工作。航天机构已与应急部门及委内瑞拉政府共享了相关图像，这些图像不仅揭示了灾难的规模，还使救援团队能够确定工作的重点区域，并了解地面面临的挑战。

Following the twin earthquakes in Venezuela, the Copernicus satellite system activated its emergency mapping mode at the request of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Using imagery collected by Sentinel satellites and sensors, the system has generated 10 products and 25 maps that enable real-time assessment of the extent of damage and how terrain has shifted in 13 areas of interest. In addition, these tools have helped officials identify clear areas that can be used for landing aircraft involved in rescue operations and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

在委内瑞拉发生双重地震后，应欧盟委员会民防与人道主义援助行动总司的请求，哥白尼（Copernicus）卫星系统启动了应急测绘模式。利用“哨兵”（Sentinel）卫星和传感器收集的图像，该系统生成了10项产品和25张地图，能够对13个重点区域的受损程度及地形位移进行实时评估。此外，这些工具还帮助官员确定了可用于救援飞机降落及人道主义援助物资运送的空旷区域。

Initial data from Copernicus shows severe damage in the cities of La Guaira and Greater Caracas, as well as impacts on communities in Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, and Miranda. The report notes that, as of June 27, an estimated nearly 1,300 buildings have been affected in the region.

来自哥白尼系统的初步数据显示，拉瓜伊拉（La Guaira）和大加拉加斯（Greater Caracas）市受损严重，阿拉瓜州（Aragua）、卡拉沃沃州（Carabobo）、法尔孔州（Falcón）和米兰达州（Miranda）的社区也受到波及。报告指出，截至6月27日，该地区估计有近1300座建筑物受到影响。

A satellite map created by the Copernicus system identifies areas severely affected in Venezuela following the earthquakes of June 24, 2026. Courtesy of Copernicus 由哥白尼系统绘制的卫星地图，标示了2026年6月24日地震后委内瑞拉受灾严重的地区。图片来源：Copernicus

For its part, NASA activated its Disaster Response Coordination System to produce a series of maps that show how the earthquakes displaced the Earth’s surface using data obtained by the NISAR mission, “providing key insights for emergency managers and scientists,” according to the agency.

与此同时，美国国家航空航天局（NASA）启动了灾害响应协调系统，利用NISAR任务获取的数据制作了一系列地图，展示了地震如何导致地表位移。据该机构称，这些地图“为应急管理人员和科学家提供了关键见解”。

This initiative includes a pilot project aligned with Copernicus’s efforts that, using radar images captured by the Sentinel-1 satellite before and after the earthquakes, assesses the areas previously identified by the European system.

该计划包含一个与哥白尼系统协同的试点项目，通过使用“哨兵-1号”（Sentinel-1）卫星在地震前后拍摄的雷达图像，对欧洲系统此前识别出的区域进行评估。

A NASA satellite map shows ground displacement in the areas of Venezuela devastated by the two earthquakes that occurred on June 24, 2026. Red dots indicate areas with a greater than 75 percent probability of damage. Courtesy of NASA NASA卫星地图显示了2026年6月24日两次地震中委内瑞拉受灾地区的地表位移情况。红点表示受损概率超过75%的区域。图片来源：NASA

Preliminary results from the mapping model reported damage or total destruction to 58,870 buildings in areas near the epicenter of the earthquakes. Each structure identified on the map includes additional information, such as the probability of damage and the coverage fraction—an indicator showing what percentage of the building was analyzed by the satellite. To reduce errors, the system was calibrated using seismic intensity maps produced by the US Geological Survey to ensure a false alarm rate of less than 1 percent.

测绘模型的初步结果显示，震中附近的区域有58,870座建筑物受损或完全毁坏。地图上识别出的每个结构都包含额外信息，例如受损概率和覆盖率（即卫星分析该建筑物所占的百分比）。为了减少误差，该系统利用美国地质调查局（USGS）制作的地震烈度图进行了校准，确保误报率低于1%。

You can access these tools here. 你可以点击此处访问这些工具。

A screenshot of a NASA comparative map shows the areas in Venezuela devastated by the two earthquakes that occurred on June 24, 2026. Red and yellow dots mark areas requiring immediate, priority attention. Courtesy of NASA NASA对比地图的截图显示了2026年6月24日两次地震中委内瑞拉的受灾区域。红色和黄色圆点标记了需要立即优先关注的区域。图片来源：NASA

Latin American countries are also providing satellite data, including Peru’s National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development. The agency said it made images obtained by the PeruSAT-1 satellite available to the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE) to assist with the emergency response.

拉丁美洲国家也提供了卫星数据，其中包括秘鲁国家航空航天研究与发展委员会。该机构表示，已将PeruSAT-1卫星获取的图像提供给玻利瓦尔空间活动局（ABAE），以协助应急响应。

PeruSAT-1 was launched in 2016 and is nearing the end of its operational life. Orbiting at an altitude of approximately 702 kilometers (436 miles), it has a sub-1-meter resolution and has captured around 500,000 images used in disaster management, monitoring public works, and detecting illicit activities.

PeruSAT-1于2016年发射，目前已接近其使用寿命终点。它在约702公里（436英里）的高度运行，分辨率低于1米，已拍摄了约50万张图像，用于灾害管理、公共工程监测和非法活动检测。

ABAE shared data that reveals ground deformation associated with movement along the San Sebastián Fault—one of the most significant tectonic features in northern Venezuela and one that’s linked to the recent earthquakes recorded in the country.

ABAE共享的数据揭示了与圣塞巴斯蒂安断层（San Sebastián Fault）沿线运动相关的地面形变——这是委内瑞拉北部最重要的构造特征之一，也与该国近期记录的地震有关。

The agency explained that this representation allows for the visualization of abrupt changes on both sides of the fault, showing where the displacement caused by the earthquakes was concentrated. That data will be particularly useful to scientists aiming to understand the pair of tremors.

该机构解释称，这种呈现方式可以直观地展示断层两侧的剧烈变化，显示地震引起的位移集中在何处。这些数据对于旨在了解这两次地震的科学家来说将特别有用。

Recovery is still ongoing in Venezuela, though hopes of finding more survivors is dwindling as times goes on. The long-term impacts are also just beginning to come into focus. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) preliminarily estimate of “direct physical damage” sits at $6.7 billion, an amount equivalent to about 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

委内瑞拉的恢复工作仍在进行中，但随着时间推移，找到更多幸存者的希望正变得渺茫。长期影响也才刚刚开始显现。联合国开发计划署（UNDP）初步估计“直接物质损失”为67亿美元，相当于该国国内生产总值（GDP）的6%左右。

This estimate was obtained through a satellite assessment conducted using an AI-powered UNDP tool that combines satellite imagery with GIS technology to provide an almost rapid overview of damage and the most vulnerable populations during a crisis.

这一估计是通过联合国开发计划署的一款人工智能工具进行的卫星评估得出的，该工具结合了卫星图像和地理信息系统（GIS）技术，能够在危机期间快速提供受损情况和最脆弱人群的概况。

This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish. 本文最初发表于《连线》西班牙语版（WIRED en Español），由西班牙语翻译而来。